Wide Awake in Dreamland
Pat Benatar · 1988
50 min · 10 tracks · hard rock
A blend of hard rock energy and pop melodies, infused with Benatar's commanding vocals and socially conscious themes.
Top tracks — play these first
-
→
All Fired Up Start here — This track embodies the album's energetic spirit with an anthemic chorus that encourages resilience and empowerment, making it a standout single.
-
→
Too Long a Soldier — This poignant ballad reflects on the struggles of veterans returning home, showcasing Benatar's ability to tackle heavy societal issues through her music.
-
→
Wide Awake in Dreamland — The title track encapsulates the album's theme of awakening to reality and confronting personal and societal challenges, blending introspective lyrics with a powerful delivery.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends hard rock with socially conscious themes, showcasing Benatar's vocal strength but lacks standout compositions.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a high-energy track, 'All Fired Up', and maintains a consistent mid-tempo pace through the first half before introducing slower, more reflective songs.
- Several tracks feature layered vocal harmonies, particularly in the choruses, which enhance the melodic hooks.
- The lyrics across the album address themes of empowerment and social issues, contrasting with her earlier focus on romance.
- Composition 25% of the score
-
6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
-
7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
-
5/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
-
5/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
-
6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady mid-tempo engagement
- anthemic choruses for sing-alongs
- uplifting tracks for motivation
- emotive vocals that resonate
- consistent flow throughout album
Maybe skip if you
- prefer high-energy fast tracks
- seek experimental soundscapes
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Experimental — The album marks a departure in sound and themes from earlier works.
- Career context
- Released in 1988, Wide Awake in Dreamland was Pat Benatar's seventh studio album, following her commercial peak in the early '80s. At this point in her career, Benatar sought to evolve her sound while addressing deeper lyrical content, reflecting a shift towards more socially aware themes after years of chart-topping hits.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Heart· Joan Jett & the Blackhearts· Lita Ford
Tracklist
- 1 All Fired Up Start here 4:32
- 2 One Love (Song of the Lion) 5:13
- 3 Let's Stay Together 4:58
- 4 Don't Walk Away 4:40
- 5 Too Long a Soldier 6:42
- 6 Cool Zero 5:30
- 7 Cerebral Man 4:47
- 8 Lift 'em on Up 4:59
- 9 Suffer the Little Children 4:13
- 10 Wide Awake in Dreamland 4:57
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
Sync your library
Everything you track here works immediately — no account needed. Create one when you want to sync across devices.